Miracle in Nepal: Third worker rescued alive from tunnel after 10 days

A Chinese worker has been pulled alive from a tunnel in Nepal 10 days after devastating floods struck Nepal and Tibet. His rescue has given fresh hope to teams still searching for missing workers.

The Nepalese army announced the rescue on Saturday, September 5. The worker had survived underground while rescuers searched for people missing at several hydropower projects. His recovery followed the rescue, a day earlier, of two Nepalese workers, Sanjay Shah and Kabir Maharajan, from the Trishuli 3A hydropower tunnel.

Australian engineer and geologist Arnold Dix, who was called in by Nepalese authorities to advise on the Trishuli 3A operation, said the earlier rescue had strengthened the teams’ resolve. “After more than a week, everyone is exhausted, but this motivates us to make even greater efforts and now gives us a clear direction on how we might approach other rescue operations at other locations. We now have proof that people can survive for so long,” he said.

Dozens of Nepalese rescuers have worked continuously for about a week in tunnels covered by water, mud and debris. Specialists from India, China and South Korea have joined them. The teams are searching several construction sites for hydropower plants and dams after about 30 hydropower projects were damaged by the disaster.

The operation at Trishuli 3A was difficult from the start. Rescuers first had to identify the exact location of the plant and determine which tunnel could lead to those trapped underground. Rocks the size of cars blocked access, forcing the teams to use explosives. Dix warned that the method carried risks because an explosion could endanger people on the other side of the rock. When rescuers reached the tunnel, they found it flooded and dug an emergency channel to drain the water, fearing the workers inside might drown before help arrived.

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After more than a week, everyone is exhausted, but this motivates us to make even greater efforts and now gives us a clear direction on how we might approach other rescue operations at other locations. We now have proof that people can survive for so long.